400 ORGANISATIONS FROM 22 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES URGE OBAMA TO RECOGNISE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
armradio.am
20.04.2009 11:00
Nearly 400 organisations from 22 European countries signed-on to
the letter launched by the European Armenian Federation urging the
President of the United States to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
In the letter, the Federation reminds the President that "European
Armenians as well as the large democratic mainstream of Europe’s civil
society will continue to strongly oppose Turkey’s membership in the EU
for as long as the Turkish state denies the Armenian Genocide, promotes
racism and pursues a policy of discrimination towards its minorities."
In the letter, the Federation reminds the President that "European
Armenians as well as the large democratic mainstream of Europe’s civil
society will continue to strongly oppose Turkey’s membership in the
EU for as long as the Turkish state denies the Armenian Genocide,
promotes racism and pursues a policy of discrimination towards its
minorities." The Federation further notes that "the commitment that
President Obama made to recognise the genocide will unleash the
momentum of true change and democratization inside Turkey" and that
it "will also provide an unprecedented momentum to the process of
dialogue between Turkey and Armenia" by clearly stating "that denial
of this crime against humanity will no longer be supported and that
the way forward will definitely require of=2 0Turkey a fundamental
commitment to just peace."
The European Armenian Federation concludes the letter by reminding
that "any retreat by the United States at this defining moment would
be interpreted by genocide-perpetrating governments as full license
to continue their bloody acts and criminal complicities, as witnessed
in Turkey’s recent support for the Sudanese president who is under
an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court".
"President Obama has the opportunity to demonstrate a real political
sea-change compared to his predecessors, by promoting a policy of
ethical responsibility, respect, justice and truth on this issue as
well as others.
The anticipation of this change has elicited tremendous enthusiasm
in Europe and in the World. If the US President does not affirm his
commitment to recognise the Armenian Genocide, Europeans would view
it as a disappointing reaffirmation of the same old tactical schemes
and manoeuvres which so harmed the United States these last years,"
commented Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
A political change is expected from President Barack Obama on April
24th, the commemorative day of the Armenian Genocide, when the US
President expresses each year the United States’ remembrance for
the victims of this genocide. Contrary to his recent predecessors
who used euphemisms to describe the planned extermination of the
Armenians by the Turkish State, president Oba ma stated on several
occasions "as president of the United States, I will recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
